18 for 4 campaign

Building homes you can afford in places you need to be

Auckland’s population has risen by about 90,000 in the past couple of years. That’s equal to the population of Invercargill and Whanganui combined. And with the average house price in Auckland now close to a million dollars, and the average rent over $500 per week, finding safe, dry, affordable housing is proving difficult for Aucklanders from all walks of life.

Auckland Community Housing Providers’ Network (ACHPN) have created a solution that ticks all the boxes. ‘18 for 4’ is a new campaign, a driving force to enable people of all demographics to keep calling Auckland home.

Why the name? Each building project will involve transforming four houses (likely Housing NZ stock) in existing communities into 18 homes for all kinds of people, from those on low incomes through to those wanting to get onto the property market.

This opens up locations across the city – rather than forcing new build projects to stay on the periphery of Auckland’s outermost suburbs. People can live near their work, near their children’s school, and near their family and community.

There’s more number crunching in the project beyond the name itself. Every new 18 for 4 development will incorporate:

• Eight homes for social housing to address the issues of homelessness and overcrowding
• Six homes for assisted homeownership, including rent to buy and shared equity to help young families into homeownership
• Four homes for ‘normal’ private sale, with profits going back into more community housing

These houses will be one, two and three bedroom homes, in well-designed, medium density developments. Read the Q & A’s here:

20161021 18 for 4 Q&A – FINAL.pdf

Keep up to date and support the campaign by going to their facebook page here or their website here.

Community housing organisations and other groups can support this campaign by promoting your support for the campaign. Here’s a communications kit to use for this:

20161107 18 for 4 Comms Kit – OTHER ENDORSERS.pdf

Here’s the CHA press release in support of this campaign:

MR 18 for 4 support15 NOVEMBER 2016 final.pdf

How else can you help make 18 for 4 happen?

We’re glad you asked! There are several ways you can support 18 for 4 and help us turn it into a reality, including:

• Posting on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #18for4 – you could try sharing why you’re so passionate about it, give a personal anecdote of how you’ve been affected by the Auckland housing crisis, or encourage others to find out more
• Sharing one of our 18 for 4 posts
• Writing to the NZ Herald or other media outlets about why social housing land should be used for 18 for 4
• Write to your local MP letting them know why you believe 18 for 4 is so important and encouraging them to support them